This moving and eloquently-written Korean-language essay was written by Dr. Geun Soon Kim Lee, one of the founders and heads of The Korean Language Center of New York and The Korean Heritage School for Adoptees. The essay, which is written in Korean, is titled "한국어와 나 (The Korean Language and I)," and will be featured in a forthcoming edited book that RCKC has been working on about individuals who have worked hard to promote the Korean language and Korean-language education in the United States.

Dr. Geun Soon Kim Lee has a long history with Korean language education. She received a BA in Library Sciences at Yonsei University in Seoul, where she went on to become a lecturer in the Korean Language Institute. She earned a doctorate (Litt. D) in Library Sciences from Ankara University in Turkey in 1975. In 1978, with her husband, Dr. Sungun Lee (who is another extremely important figure in Korean language education), she started teaching Korean in the United States. In 1984, she became Principal of the New York Broadway Korean School, which has since changed its name to the Manhattan Korean School, where she highlighted the importance of conversational Korean. While she was the Principal, the school became very well-known for its outstanding faculty and emphasis on teaching methods and pedagogy. She and her husband, Dr. Sungun Lee, are the founders and heads of The Korean Language Center of New York and The Korean Heritage School for Adoptees. Additionally, she is President of the Northeast Chapter of the National Association for Korean Schools, Vice President of the National Association for Korean Schools, and is a former instructor of East Asian Studies at New York University.